Stephen Gray (writer)
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (October 2008) |
Stephen Gray | |
|---|---|
| Born | 30 November 1941 |
| Died | 22 October 2020 (aged 78) Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa |
| Nationality | South African citizenship |
| Occupation(s) | Author, literary critic |
| Notable work | Time of Our Darkness (1988) Beatrice Hastings: A Literary Life (2004) |
Stephen Gray (30 November 1941 – 22 October 2020) was a South African writer and critic.
Career
[edit]Gray was born in Cape Town on 30 November 1941. He studied at St. Andrew's College, Grahamstown,[1] and later at the University of Cape Town, Cambridge University, England (where he received a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters of Arts, both in English), and the University of Iowa, US (where he studied a Masters of Fine Arts in creative writing).[2] He was also awarded a D. Litt and d. Phil. by Rand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg. Until 1992, he was Professor of English at the Rand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg.[2]
Gray was a prolific poet and published eight novels. Recurrent themes include attitudes to homosexuality and the many rewritings of history in South Africa, including examining attitudes to class and race.[3] His literary journalism appeared in the South African weekly newspaper, the Mail & Guardian, from the 1990s to the 2010s.[4] He also wrote for the theatre and edited collections of work by Athol Fugard and Herman Charles Bosman.
Gray died on 22 October 2020 in Johannesburg at the age of 78.[5]
Published works
[edit]- [Note: Gray has been published in many countries by various publishers in other editions. Consult ISBN in WorldCat and other sources for multiple editions.]
Novels and short stories
[edit]- Local Colour. Ravan Press, 1975. ISBN 0-86975-046-1
- Visible People. R. Collings, 1977. ISBN 0-86036-046-6.
- Caltrop's Desire. Africa Book Centre, 1980. ISBN 0-86036-108-X.
- Time of Our Darkness. Arrow, 1988. ISBN 0-09-965670-1.
- Born of Man. Gay Men's Press, 1989. ISBN 0-85449-107-4.
- War Child. Serif, 1994. ISBN 1-897959-01-X.
- My Serial Killer and other Short Stories. Jacana Media, 2005. ISBN 1-77009-030-4
Plays
[edit]- Schreiner: A One-Woman Play. David Philip, 1983. ISBN 0-908396-97-X.
Poetry
[edit]- It's About Time. David Philip, 1974. ISBN 0-949968-21-8.
- Hottentot Venus and other Poems. David Philip, 1979.
- Love Poems: Hate Poems. Bellew Publishing, 1982. ISBN 0-86036-196-9.
- Apollo Café and Other Poems, 1982-89. David Philip, 1989. ISBN 0-86486-129-X.
- Season of Violence, Justified Press, 1992. ISBN 1-871049-87-3
- Selected Poems 1960-92, David Philip, 1994. ISBN 0-86486-238-5
- Gabriel's Exhibition, Mayibuye Books, 1998. ISBN 1-86808-378-0
As editor
[edit]- C. Louis Leipoldt. Stormwrack. David Philip, 1980. ISBN 0908396104.
- Modern South African Poetry. A. D. Donker, 1984. ISBN 0-86852-056-X.
- The Penguin Book of Southern African Stories. Penguin, 1985. ISBN 0-14-007239-X.
- The Penguin Book of Southern African Verse. Penguin, 1988. ISBN 0-14-058510-9.
- South Africa Plays: New South African Drama. Nick Hern, 1994. ISBN 1-85459-148-7.
- Charles Rawden Maclean alias John Ross. The Natal Papers of "John Ross". U of Natal P, 1996. ISBN 0-86980-851-6.
Other
[edit]- Southern African Literature: An Introduction. Barnes & Noble Imports, 1979. ISBN 0-06-492530-7.
- John Ross: The True Story. 1987.
- Human Interest and Other Pieces. Justified Press, 1993. ISBN 0-947451-23-4.
- Accident of Birth: An Autobiography. COSAW Publishing, 1993. ISBN 1-874879-23-0.
- Free-lancers and Literary Biography in South Africa. Editions Rodopi BV, 1999. ISBN 90-420-0656-0.
- Life Sentence: A Biography of Herman Charles Bosman. Human & Rousseau, 2005. ISBN 0-7981-4484-X.
References
[edit]- ^ Poland 2008, p. 306.
- ^ a b Malec, Jennifer (27 October 2020). "Stephen Gray, 1941—2020, RIP". The Johannesburg Review of Books. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
- ^ Dunton, Chris (2001). "Stephen Gray at sixty: an interview and bibliography of primary works". English in Africa. 28 (2): 49–64. doi:10.10520/AJA03768902_633 (inactive 1 November 2024). Retrieved 25 June 2024.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link) - ^ "Obituary: Literary allrounder Stephen Gray was a scholar, critic, novelist and poet". The Mail & Guardian. 3 November 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
- ^ "Man of letters Stephen Gray dies at 78". New Frame. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- Poland, Marguerite (2008). The Boy in You: A Biography of St. Andrew's College, 1855-2005. Fernwood Press. ISBN 978-1-874950-86-8.
- Gray, Stephen (Ed.) Modern South African Poetry. A. D. Donker, 1984. ISBN 0-86852-056-X.
External links
[edit]
- 1941 births
- 2020 deaths
- 20th-century South African poets
- South African male novelists
- South African non-fiction writers
- University of Cape Town alumni
- South African LGBTQ novelists
- South African male poets
- Alumni of St. Andrew's College, Grahamstown
- 20th-century South African male writers
- South African male non-fiction writers